The object of this invention is to provide improvements in the construction of cold metal rolling mills, with the purposes of improving their productivity and the quality of their product, and reducing their cost.
Generally, on conventional four-high (1-1) and six-high (1-1-1) mills, it is not possible to reduce the work roll diameter below about one quarter of the strip width. This is because, on work roll driven mills, the work roll neck must be sufficiently big to transmit the required rolling torque. On intermediate or back-up roll driven mills, it is because rolling torque reaction forces and tension forces cause lateral flexure of the work roll body, which can overstress the roll or spoil the strip flatness if the work roll diameter is too small.